In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
